Electric plug



G. EATON May 23, 1939.

ELECTRI C PLUG Filed July vle, 193e N n T A E n G R u E E IIN ATTORNEYS`Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of connecter plugs for electricalappliances and is an improvement upon those disclosed in my prior PatentNo. 1,905,452, April 25, 1933, and in my copending application SerialNo. 56,258, led December 26, 1935.

As in the patent and patent application above referred to, so here also,the invention in general relates to the type of device in which there isprovided means that can be readily manipulated for opening the electricconnecting means of the plug so as topermit the same to be readilyattached to or detached from the electric terminals of the appliance, asfor instance a toaster, an iron, etc., without employing the other handof the user.

The illustration of clip construction herein adopted corresponds withthat shown in the patent application above referred to, although thepresent improvement may be adopted for use in connection also with theform of clips shown in the patent above referred to, and also inconnection with various other modied forms of clip constructions whichembody the principle of electric plug hereinabove referred to.

As is. well known by those who are familiar with the art of electricalappliances, an electric iron or other such appliance is usually providedwith a guard about the terminals for the purpose of preventing shortcircuit. And it is this type of device to which the present improvementis especially applicable, although it can be employed with considerableadvantage upon an electric plug that is to be used upon appliances thatdo not have guards, as will appear.

Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide anelectric plug of the type above referred to, embodying a depressiblebutton for releasing the clips so as to facilitate removal andattachment of the same, and in which there is now to be added, accordingto my present improvement, a means whereby the button can be more easilyoperated With respect to the force required for operation of the same,this improvement to be enjoyed in all types of devices includingtoasters, irons, etc., with or without guards.

A further object is to devise such an improvement which will permit thistype of plug with the depressible button to be employed in connectionwith a utensil having a guard but without any interference by the guard,while at the same time the manipulation of the button is also greatlyfacilitated from the standpoint of force required to be exerted by thefinger of the users hand.

Another object is to devise such an improvement that can be manufacturedand sold at a low cost and that can be applied to the electric plug Withconsiderable ease.

A still further object is to devise such an improvement that can beattached to the electric plug as an accessory and can be either includedor omitted as a part thereof without involving any change in thestructure ofthe plug itself.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims whenconsidered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an electric plug which embodies myimprovement;

Fig. 2 is a view taken upon line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the assembly of my improved electric plugupon an electric iron;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the base plate which forms part of mypresent accessory;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the lever member which constitutes theother part of my present accessory;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the combined base plateand lever member which constitute my present accessory; and

Fig. '7 is a view taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 6.

'Ihe casing of my electric plug comprises the half-sections I and 2 ofelectric insulating material Within which are enclosed the electricconnecting means for establishing the operative connection between theelectric cord 3 and the terminals 4 upon the electric utensil 5. Thecasing sections are secured together, as usual, by means of the bolts 6.

The separate wires of the cord are attached by the screws 'l to theextended rear ends of the clip members 8. The shorter rear ends of theclip members 9 are engaged and adapted to be actuated by thetransversely disposed inner part Il]a of the presser button whichextends through an opening in the casing member 2, the outer portion Ibof this button being adapted for pressing engagement for opening theclip members. In the form of structure as shown in the prior patent andpatent application above referred to, this presser button is actuated bythe finger of the users hand, as herein explained. In the presentinvention, I have devised an auxiliary means in the form of an accessorywhich greatly facilitates this manipulation of the presser button andcan be applied to the plug disclosed in the other two cases justreferred to, or can be omitted therefrom if so desired.

In the present disclosure, as in the companion application abovereferred to, the clip members are provided with a coil spring il locatedtherebetween and having its end portions l Iat extending forwardly andterminating at l lb in engagement with the outer surface of the clipmembers near the forward ends thereof soas to normally Thus,

affords an increased force for holding the clips in closed position.

'I'he above description of the clip members with the spring and presserbutton will serve to indicate the type of clip to which the presentimprovement is applied. For a fuller understanding of the details of theclip structure, reference may be had to the co-pending application abovereferred to, the structure being the same in the two cases except forthe improvement now to be described.

By means of the bolts 6 the plate I2 may be attached to the outersurface of the casing member 2, a transverse slot I3 being provided inthe plate I2 to accommodate the button portion Elib. Transversely of themiddle part of the plate i2, a portion isfslit and` swaged upwardly soas to form the slot I4 and the raised portion l5 with the side socketportions I5 for pivotal engagement of the ears VI on the lever I8. Thislever is of a width corresponding approximately with that of the slot I4and is extended therethrough from the under side of the baseplate I2prior to mounting the plate upon the casing member 2. The

" ears I'I are rounded at their ends and are turned lever I8.

CII

f vent access to button Illb.

down somewhat so as to afford a good bearing engagement during thepivotal manipulation oi the The engagement of the side edges of thelever I8 also serves to prevent lateral cooking of the lever; and if sodesired, this structure can be modied by extending the swaged portion I5so as to extend the side portions I6 for more extended engagement of theside edges of the lever I8. In such modification, the slots I3 and I4would become one continuous slot or opening. The lever I8 has a hole I9which permits access to one of the bolts 6. This lever is substantiallyrigid and may be of any extent desired.

As above indicated, the purpose of the lever I8 is to permit operationof the presser button IIlb without interference by the guard 2l] Whichusually forms part of the standard equipment of an electric appliance.Except for my present improvement, the presence of this guard wouldprethe lever isof such length as to extend beyond the guard and can beeasily manipulated for depressing the button I 0b to release the clipmembers. This is accomplished by the engagement of the lever I8 with thebutton 10b. As Will be apparent, the lever I8 can 4be depressed by thethumb or nger of the same hand by which the plug is applied to theterminals. Upon releasing the lever I8,'the button will be returned toidle position by the spring Il, as usual, and the lever I8 will be movedto idle position.

As will be evident, the present attachment is extremely simple inconstruction and can be manufactured at little cost. plied to the plugin an easy manner and can be employed therewith or omitted therefrom,according to whether or not the plug is to be employed on a device witha guard, as above explained. Thus, this improvement may be regarded asan accessory which is readily attachable and removable, 'according towhether its presence upon the plug is required.

' It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merelyfor purposes of illustration and that there may be devised variousmodiiications in addition to those above suggested, and that any and allsuch modifications are intended to be comprehended by the followingclaims in so With my improvement, Y

Also, it can be apfar as they come within the spirit of the presentinvention as herein set forth.

What I claim is:

1. An appliance plug including a chambered insulation body comprising aplurality of sections detachably connected together, a terminalprongreceiving socket in the body chamber, said socket comprising a pairof members yieldingly constrained towards each other for socketformation and prong engagement, means including a bodyexposedmanipulatable portion for forcibly separating said members for readysocket reception and removal of the prong, and means arranged upon theo-utside of said? body and'extending rearwardly of said manipulatableportion for manipulating the same, Vsaid manipulating means beingsecured to said body by the same means that se:- cures said bodysections together.

2. An appliance plug including a chambered insulation body comprising aplurality of sections detachably connected together, a terminalprong-receiving socket in the body chamber, said socket comprising apair of members yieldingly constrained towards each other for socketformation and prong engagement, means including a body-exposedmanipulatable portion forforcibly separating said members for readysocket reception and removal of the prong, a plate attached to the bodyof the plug by the same means that secures the body sections together,said plate having a slot to permit extension of the manipulatableportion therethrough, an arm mounted upon said plate at a point forwardof said slot and extending rearwardly so as to be accessible from apoint in the region of the rear end of the plug body for effectingmanipulation of said manipulatable portion.

3. In an electric appliance plug of the type having outwardly projectingmeans adapted to be depressed for opening the socket of the plug,anattachment comprising a plate adapted to be attached to the body ofthe plug, said plate having a slot to permit extension of thedepressible socket-opening means therethrough, said plate having asecond slot to the rear of the rst slot, said second slot having bearingportions at the sides thereof, and a lever arm having lateral extensionsfor pivotal engagement in said bearing portions while said lever armextends rearwardly through said second slot so as to be accessible froma point in the region of the rear end of the plug body, when attachedthereto, for effecting manipulation of the socket-opening means, andmeans for securing said attachment to the body of the electric plug.

4. An appliance plug including a chambered insulation body comprising aplurality of sections detachably connected together, a terminalYprong-receiving socket in the body chamber, said socket comprising apair of members yieldingly constrained towards each other for socketformation and prong engagement, means including a body-exposedmanipulatable portion for forcibly separating Vsaid members for readysocket reception and removal of the prong, a plate attached to the bodyof the plug and having a slot to permit extension of the manipulatableportion therethrough, an arm mounted upon said plate at a point forwardof said slot and extending rearwardly so as to be accessible from apoint in the region of the rear end of the plug body for efl'ectingmanipulation of said manipulatable portion. GEORGE EATON.

